• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.99-107
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• 2021

This study analyzes the differences in definitions and concepts of terms used in the statistical indicators of fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers among countries included in the ILOSTAT data explorer. In addition, improvement measures focusing on the limitations in international comparison are proposed. Five countries-the Republic of Korea, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, United States-- were comparatively analyzed. These countries were selected according to the significance of differences in their definitions of workplace injuries, workers, and compensation insurance, and their reporting systems. Considering these differences before directly comparing statistical indicators of fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers among countries is necessary because the range of comparison groups and the definition of fatal occupational injury are different for each country. While one can also compare trends by country, it is necessary to investigate beforehand whether the criteria and methods for processing statistics have changed. Misinterpretation can be minimized by properly understanding the process and limitations of fatal occupational statistical indicators that may differ from country to country.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.110-117
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• 2011

The paper tries to understand the other side of characteristics on occupational injuries and diseases in forestry. Occupational injuries and diseases in forestry seems to be greatly influenced by the environmental characteristics of the mountain district and individual's ability of workers. A traditional method on the analysis of occupational injuries and diseases data may show that the main cause of occupational injuries and diseases is the material factors significantly. To identify the other side of occupational injuries and diseases in forestry, the occupational injuries and diseases data of 3,091 workers in forestry was analyzed. The data in forestry, 2009 shows certain characteristics among the recent occupational injuries and diseases data. The first step is to classify the data according to standard of classification of original cause materials. Material factors are 72.3% and human factors (included managerial factors) and environmental factors are 27.0%. The next step is to reclassify the first step data by using the concept of influence factors which caused and influenced occupational injuries and diseases. The result is that material factors are 2.4%, human factors(included managerial factors) and environmental factors are 97.0%. Also, an aging degree of workers in forestry is higher than other categories of business. It is true that an aging degree of injured or diseased workers in forestry is higher than that of other categories of business. However, relevance with increase of occupational injuries and diseases could not be explained. An injury and disease rate in forestry is remarkably increased recently than other categories of business. One of the reason why an injury and disease rate increased remarkably in 2009 could be considered as the increase of the number of workers and related budget. Therefore, this study proposes important measures or means to prevent occupational injuries and diseases in forestry.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.161-165
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• 2016

Background: Despite the declining trend of workplace accidents in Republic of Korea, its level is still quite high compared with that in other developed countries. Factors that are responsible for high workplace accidents have not been well documented in Republic of Korea. The main purpose of this paper is to estimate the effects of unions and health and safety committees on workplace accidents in Korean manufacturing firms. We also allow for the interactions between unions and health and safety committees in the analysis. The results obtained in this paper will not only contribute to the literature in this field, but might also be useful for employers and worker representatives who are trying to find an effective way to reduce workplace accidents. Methods: This paper utilizes the 2012 Occupational Safety and Health Trend Survey data, which is a unique data set providing information on workplace injuries and illness as well as other characteristics of participatory firms, representative of the manufacturing industry in Republic of Korea. Results: In estimating the effects of unions and health and safety committees, we build a negative binomial regression model in which the interactions between unions and health and safety committees are permissible in reducing workplace accidents. Conclusion: Health and safety committees were found to reduce the incidence of accidents whereas unionized establishments have higher incidence of accidents than nonunionized establishments. We also found that health and safety committees can more effectively reduce accidents in nonunionized establishments. By contrast, nonexclusive joint committees can more effectively reduce accidents in unionized establishments.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.148-157
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• 2011

Objectives: Although compensation for occupational injuries and diseases is guaranteed in almost all nations, countries vary greatly with respect to how they organize workers' compensation systems. In this paper, we focus on three aspects of workers' compensation insurance in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries - types of systems, employers' funding mechanisms, and coverage for injured workers - and their impacts on the actual frequencies of occupational injuries and diseases. Methods: We estimated a panel data fixed effect model with cross-country OECD and International Labor Organization data. We controlled for country fixed effects, relevant aggregate variables, and dummy variables representing the occupational accidents data source. Results: First, the use of a private insurance system is found to lower the occupational accidents. Second, the use of risk-based pricing for the payment of employer raises the occupational injuries and diseases. Finally, the wider the coverage of injured workers is, the less frequent the workplace accidents are. Conclusion: Private insurance system, fixed flat rate employers' funding mechanism, and higher coverage of compensation scheme are significantly and positively correlated with lower level of occupational accidents compared with the public insurance system, risk-based funding system, and lower coverage of compensation scheme.

• IE interfaces
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.106-110
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• 2001

The importance of development of occupational safety index is truly great. It will contribute to the wise direction of safety program. In present, frequency and severity ratios were the standard measure. These terms express the incidence of major injuries and severity of the major injuries experience, each with relation to the employee-hours of work exposure during the period that is measured. But these measure don't expressed the dangerous feeling degree of worker. In this study, Effective Industrial Safety Index(EISI) was developed using dangerous feeling degree of worker, frequency of injuries, and severity of injury. EISI can be used as an aid for effective safety management in workplace.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.22-29
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• 2012

Robot related injuries in industrial accidents statistics during 2008~2010 have accounted for a total of 109 cases equivalent to 30~40 cases for each of those years. The number of injured compared to the dissemination of industrial robots(51,302 units/2004) can be regarded as quite low. However, the fatal injuries sustained by 7 (6.4%) out of 109 cases paints the stark reality of robot-related accident fatalities. It is a sad probability that as the automation process expands its use of industrial robots which have increased significantly in demand, the incidence of workplace accidents will also increase. Therefore, the incidence of accidents throughout the period of 2008~2010 has been analysed to prevent the injuries due to the increased use of industrial robots. In the analysis, the injuries occurred during the industrial robot operation accounted for 45.9% of the entire accidents. Thus, we examined the present status of the industrial robot operation to analyze the root cause of accidents occurred in our studied time period. We looked at a total of 469 workplaces. 456 workplaces responded in the year 2009 and survey studies were implemented at 13 of the 29 workplaces where work injuries were sustained in the year 2010. Even where protective measures and interlock devices were in place, our studies indicated that workers could access the robot area to perform the tasks in 188 sites(40.1%). Also, the 143 sites(30.5%) had control measures and equipment located in the safety fence. In addition, the robots found at 164 sites(35.0%) could be restarted without additional restarting operation. These three causes accounted for most of the workplace injuries during the industrial robot operations. Futhermore, we confirmed the fact that the protective measures of the current safety regulations were not strictly enforced. Based upon our studies and the investigation of the present status of the industrial robot operation, higher standards in training and supervision of workers in the robot operation must quickly be met in order to prevent these industrial injuries.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.318-331
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• 2010

The objectives of this study were to investigate the status of accidents and to assess hazards in institutional foodservices in the Changwon and Masan areas. A survey was conducted from February 1 to March 31, 2009 using questionnaires, and 142 dietitians participated. The dietitians' perception of accident risks in workplace averaged 3.11 points. Forty-five percent of the respondents responded that accidents had occurred more than once between 2006 and 2008. In addition, 28.2% of the respondents experienced employee absences or turnover due to accidents during Year 2008. 'Musculoskelectal injuries or disorders (65.5%)', 'slips or falls (64.8%)', 'burns (57.7%)', and 'cuts and punctures (48.6%)' were the predominant accidents in foodservice. 'Knives (76 points)', 'steam kettles (41 points)', 'vegetable cutters (34 points)' and 'turn kettles (26 points)' were the equipment with severe accidents, such as burns or cut injuries. Among foodservice processes, 'carpal tunnel syndrome while washing (2.83 points)', 'burned by frying oil (2.64 points)', 'cut by sharp tools (2.55 points)', 'musculoskelectal injury by moving heavy weight food materials (2.41 points)', and 'injury by slipping on wet workplace floors and trenches (2.19 points)' were the most frequently occurring accidents at foodservice sites. To prevent safety accidents, dietitians' perceptions of safety supervision should be improved, and therefore, it is necessary they receive safety education.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.21-31
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• 2018

PURPOSE: This study examined the differences between male and female workers by investigating the various factors that affected the workers' abilities to return to work according to the International Classification of Functioning standards. METHODS: We analyzed the personal factor, environmental factor, work performance and participation factor related to ICF according to worker's gender. For this purpose data from the third Worker's Compensation Insurance panel survey conducted by the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service were analyzed. In order to verify the research model, we used frequency analysis, cross analysis to compare the differences between male and female workers according to personal, environmental, work performance, and participation factors and hierarchical regression analysis to identify significant factors affecting job performance. RESULTS: The results, indicate that the level of education, license status, working period, socioeconomic status and employment type of female workers were lower than those of male workers. Factors that have the greatest influence on job performance are grade of disability, status of disability, economic activity status, and instrumental activities of daily living (p<.05). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to provide socially stable employment support and social policy support without discrimination to allow disabled female workers to return to work and maintain their jobs and to study factors influencing job performance further.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2016

The incidence of occupational injuries and diseases associated with industrialization has declined markedly following developments in science and technology, such as engineering controls, protective equipment, safer machinery and processes, and greater adherence to regulations and labor inspections. Although the introduction of health and safety management systems has further decreased the incidence of occupational injuries and diseases, these systems are not effective unless accompanied by a positive safety culture in the workplace. The characteristics of work in the $21^{st}$ century have given rise to new issues related to workers' health, such as new types of work-related disorders, noncommunicable diseases, and inequality in the availability of occupational health services. Overcoming these new and emerging issues requires a culture of prevention at the national level. The present paper addresses: (1) how to change safety cultures in both theory and practice at the level of the workplace; and (2) the role of prevention culture at the national level.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.119-144
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• 2006

The Korea rural health study, a large prospective cohort study, the objectives of this study are exploration for potential causes of agricultural injuries and diseases among farmers. Current medical research suggests that they may have higher rates of some traumatic injuries, pesticide poisoning, infectious diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, asthma and other respiratory diseases. This study is designed to identify occupational, lifestyle, and environmental factors of workplace that may affect the rate of diseases in farming population. Round 1, initial cohort recruitment, will begin in 2006 and conclude in 2009. Round 2, follow-up will begin in 2010 and conclude in 2014. Approximately 54,000 persons will be selected to study population. Nested case-control studies and case-crossover studies will be conducted for getting to the bottom of agriculture-related diseases. Recruitment and follow-up are conducted in collaboration with multi-centers. As data on the exposures and health outcomes of this study population are collected and analyzed in 2014. This study will be evaluated by public health experts for effort, achievement, adequacy of performance, efficacy, process of study and so on. The author expects that this cohort study may reduce agricultural injuries and diseases and will provide information that agricultural workers can use in making decisions about their health. Also, this study will be significant basis for strengthening the competitiveness of agriculture in Korea.